i'm glad i found an owners website. i'm looking to see if any other 2002' dodge ram 1500 4.7L motors are having problems as they start hitting 70,000 miles and up.
i've had my truck since i bought it new in july 2002' and never had any problems except for it failing the emissions while being inspected last year due to a broken gas cap.
i'm not here to bash dodge. i've got a hard descision to make as my head gasket just went. should i spend the estimated $1,300 to $2,000 on a head gasket job or replace the motor? my truck has 77,000 miles and it just went past the 70,000 mile warranty. dodge will do nothing for me. kind of feel like i was just kicked in the gut, you know.

i've gotten motor prices which range from $ 3,395 plus labor to $ 6,200 for the complete job.

i can't see dropping money on a head gasket job if other issues are on tap with this motor. i have a freind who knows a mechanic at the local dodge dealer . the mechanic advised me to change the motor, as these motors seem to be having serious issues as they start hitting 70-80 k miles. one thing i learned this week when trying to figure out what i should do is, everyone has something bad to say about the other guy, and they don't honor their warranty when a problem arrises etc etc...i don't know who to trust or who to believe at this point.

 

I feel your pain, my man. I traded my '02 SPORT in on an '05 Daytona. You make me feel good about that decision.
Back to your prob. It looks like a great time to drop a HEMI in that Bad Boy.

Best of Luck to You!

 

Hemi man, those damn things are bullit proof. I've heard that they only get better with age too so go ahead, it will be well worth it! I drive an 03 Hemi and I havent had any problems with it and its 45K miles young. Go for it man!

 

My last truck was a 2000 Dakota Sport with the 4.7L, and when I traded it in I had 111,000 on it with the engine running as strong as ever.

You need to make your own decision on this, but if it were me and I didn't have the urge for something with more power (i.e. we're only talking about engine reliability for the next several years), I'd probably just do the gasket.

 

I have a 2002 dodge ram quad cab with a 4.7 and it has 97,000 miles on it, and as of right now I have had no major problems with it. I will tell you if my head gasket blowned I would get the engine rebuilt with some high performance parts, like pistons, cams, and also get some head work done, but that would be me.

 

You should have 100,000 mile warranty on the drive train... My 02 does,,,, check your owners manual.

 

how in the world did you get a 100k warranty on your drivetrain are you maybe thinking about rust protection or something else

 

a little more info about my truck.

i drive 33.7 miles each way to work. this all highway miles as i live a mile from the high way and my job is a mile and a quarter from the highway.

i use the truck for transportation to and from work. it is not a work truck. the bed never has anything in it.

i use the truck to pull a 26' walk around boat once a week. weight of boat/motor/trailer/fuel gear etc is estimated at 6200 lbs. the boat gets towed either 5 miles to one shore or 18 miles to the other. i never push the motor when towing. i never go over 55 mph when towing for safety reasons.

based on how i use this truck, now what would you do?

i say change the motor. problem is the wife doesn't think its needed. she'd rather get the head gaskets done. keep in mind, i plan on keeping this truck at least another 5 years.
i'd hate to waste money on a head gasket job and then have other issues later on ....

 

i have the same truck, haven't had any problems thus far (Fingers crossed) at 60K miles. Wow, i didn't know you could swap a Hemi engine, in place of what you have now. But you really should check your owner's manual because, i believe i read somewhere that the engine was covered for something like 100K miles, but i could be wrong.

 

yea same thing i h ave the same truck except long bed it he like scared the **** out of me when i read the title of this post, but i have access to chryslers dealer connect because i work for a dealer and i looked up my warranty stuff and it didnt say 100k i would have been the happiest if it did but it didnt on chrysler website. but let me also check my owners manual and see what that says